Understanding Social Security Disability Benefits While Working for 2020
Paul Landry Director of Employment Programs Benefits Counselor / CWIC A Few Words on UCP/Detroit…
The mission of United Cerebral Palsy of Metropolitan Detroit is to advance the independence of all people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities by supporting their right to self-determination and inclusion through programs that focus on person centered advocacy, employment and assistive technology
UCP focus is on Four Domains Assistive Technology
Cerebral Palsy
Employment
Person Center Advocacy
More than 85% of the people who are served by UCP/Detroit have other disability other than Cerebral Palsy
For additional information please go to our web-site: www.ucpdetroit.org SSA’s Defines a Disability as:
The inability to work:
Cannot do the work that you did before
Cannot adjust to other work because of your medical condition and
Your disability has lasted or is expected to last for at least one year or to result in death Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSDI (FICA) SSI No Work History Needs based program Insurance program based on the individual's Federal Benefit Rate 2020 work history or on a parent’s work history $ 783.00 for Individual No resource limits $1,175.00 for Couple Comes with Medicare after 24 months Resource limits (Parts A, B, C & D) $2,000 Individual Must apply for Medicaid through Michigan’s $3,000 Couple Dept. Health & Human Services Comes with Medicaid automatically in Michigan through Michigan’s Dept. Health & Human Services Some individual’s may receive benefits from both programs at the same time. Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) Work Incentives (Triggers) Phase 1 - Trial Work Period (TWP) $910.00 Gross Wages or MORE = 1 month for 2020 9 months = Trial Work Period Used within a “rolling window” 60-month period Extended Medicare (at least 93 months) after completing the Trial Work Period ______Phase 2 - Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE) 36 months after TWP SGA ($ 1,260.00) for 2020 SGA ($2,040.00 for people w/ blindness) ** Grace Period – (First time achieving SGA after TWP) Unincurred Business Expenses – Self Employment Only Impairment Related Work Expense Subsidies & Special Conditions Unsuccessful Work Attempt Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Needs Based Program
Comes with Medicaid – Automatically through MI DHHS
Federal Benefit Rate Individual $783.00 / Month Couple $1,175.00 / Month Asset Resource Limit Individual $2,000 Couple $3,000
Report monthly on income received during the month (Unearned & Earned income) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) & Medicaid ** Managed by: MI Dept. of Health & Human Services
1619b – Not receiving SSI payment due to earned income and earnings under $36,552 for 2019
Freedom To Work (BEM 174) – Earning above or have assets greater than $2,000 Ind. / $3,000 Couple Working & Receiving SSI
Basic formula when working:
(Gross Wages - $85.00) / 2 = Countable Earned Income
$783.00 - Countable Earned Income = Adjusted SSI Payment
Based on Gross Wages Received within a Calendar Month
• * $42/quarter State of Michigan’s COLA Supplement Check Supplemental Security Income (SSI) & Using Work Incentives
Impairment Related Work Expense (IRWE)
Blind Work Expense (BWE)
Plan for Achieving Self Sufficiency (PASS)
Plan for Essential Self-Support (PESS) - Self Employed
Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) • $1,900.00 / Month- $7,670.00 / Year SSI Calculation While Working (Gross Wages - $ 85.00) / 2 = Countable Earned Income $783.00 - Countable Earned Income = Adjusted SSI Payment
Example: $ 866.00 Gross Wages in November (20hrs/wk * $10/hr *4.33wks/month) - $85.00 $ 781.00 / 2 = $390.50 Countable Earned Income
$783.00 – $390.50 = $393.00 SSI Check in January Not taking any Work Incentives into account Work in September Report Pay Stubs in October SSI Check received in November from wages
October November December January Work $0.00 $866.00 $866.00 $866.00 SSI $783.00 $783.00 $783.00 $393.00 Total $783.00 $1,649.00 $1,649.00 $1,259.00 What if the individual receives both…. SSDI - $500.00 & SSI- $303.00
• Wages/Income are looked at in both ways:
SSDI Trial Work Period or Extended Period Eligibility (SGA) AND SSI Calculation
Unearned Income (SSDI) - $20.00 =Countable Unearned Income Gross Wages - $65.00 / 2= Countable Earned Income
$783.00 – Total Countable Income = Adjusted SSI Payment SSDI and SSI Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits (EXR) If SSA closes the SSDI or SSI case, Due to earned income and the individual stops working or reduces Countable Earned Income to less than SGA ($1,260.00) and it is within 60 months after the case closed
1. They can request reinstatement of benefits without filing a new disability application. 2. They will be given temporary benefits for up to six months while Social Security conducts a review. 3. If it is decided that they are no longer medically disabled by Social Security rules, they will not have to pay the temporary benefits back, unless they knew that they did not qualify for reinstatement. MI ABLE: www.miable.org
• The federal Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program was created to encourage and assist individuals and families in saving funds for the purpose of supporting individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence and quality of life; and to provide secure funding for qualified disability expenses on behalf of designated beneficiaries with disabilities WITHOUT jeopardizing benefits pro-vided through private insurance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, Medicaid program, the beneficiary’s employment and other sources.
• The ABLE account provides a way for people, whose disability began before the age of 26, to save money and maintain eligibility for public benefits. The beneficiary and other people can deposit a combined total of $15,000/year. A beneficiary who is working can deposit up to $12,140 more in 2020 if he or she isn’t participating in an employer-sponsored retirement plan.
• Money deposited by other people and investment gains are not counted as income for federally funded need-based benefits. Money in an ABLE account is also excluded from the resource limit for federally funded need-based benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), but with SSI only $100,000 is excluded The mission of WIPA services is to promote employment and enhance financial stability, the primary function of WIPA services is to provide beneficiaries with accurate and complete information about work incentives programs designed to support their efforts to obtain, retain or enhance employment.
Who is Eligible???
Any individual who is already receiving disability benefits from Social Security.
Considering Employment Currently Employed **Wants to Transition from receiving Social Security’s disability benefits What WIPA can do for you?
Assist in understanding how your benefits are affected by being employed. Areas include: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cash benefits Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) cash benefits Medicare, Part A, B, C, and D Medicaid Private Health Insurance Short/Long Term Disability Insurance Worker’s Compensation Unemployment Benefits Veteran’s Benefits Housing Subsidies Food Assistance Benefit Counseling Services:
Develop Benefit Analysis and Summary Develop Work Incentive Plan Developed Work Incentives Assist with completion of Work Activity Reports from SSA Problem solve Medicaid issues
Benefit Analysis can be Developed / Revised at anytime!!!
SSA Resources:
www.ssa.gov
www.ssa.gov/work
2020 Redbook on Employment Support: A summary guide to employment support available to people with Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Programs. Social Security Pub. no. 64-030
www.miable.org
www.yourtickettowork.com Paul Landry Director of Employment Programs Benefits Counselor / CWIC [email protected] 248-557-5070 ext. 113 248-568-3073 Cell
• The WIPA project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Social Security Administration and we developed this website at U.S. tax payer expense.